Diffuser and paint mixer



Oct. 27, 1959 MOREHQUSE 2,910,278 DIFFUSER AND PAINT MI XER Filed Sept. 17, 1956 aa/wv H, MOREHG'JSE, 1N VEN TOR.

lf/orn United States Patent DIFFUSER AND PAINT MIXER Glenn H. Morehouse, Glendale, Calif, assiguor, by mesne assignments, to Morehouse Industries, Inc., Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Application September 17, 1956, Serial No. 610,088

11 Claims. (Cl. 259-96) This invention relates in general to mixing devices and relates in particular to a simple and effective diffuser for the thorough mixing of solids and liquids, and having a special utility in the mixing of paints.

It is an object of the invention to provide a mixing device wherein the rotary mixing head is supported at the upper end of a pedestal which projects upwardly from the bottom of a container and wherein the bottom and side walls of the container merge through a curved wall and wherein the outer surface of the pedestal and the head are concavely curved, thereby providing a mixing space which is without corners in which solids may accumulate.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a device of this character which avoids the use of a shaft extending downwardly from the top of the container and the provision of drive means at or above the top of the container, thereby providing a mixing device which is selfcontained and which may be tipped so as to pour the contents therefrom. I

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel sealing arrangement for the upper end of the pedestal for efiectively preventing liquids or other materials getting into the bearings by which the shaft is supported within the receptacle.

It is a further object of the invention to provide between the mixing head and the upper end of the pedestal an annular chamber through which a small amount of the substance being mixed may circulate, but which, when the device is in operation, is prevented from coming into contact with the sealing means between the pedestal and the mixing head, by centrifugal force.

It is an object of the invention to provide a device of the character set forth in the preceding paragraph wherein there is an annular throat leading into the lower'portion of the annular chamber, and channels extending outwardly within the head from the annular chamber to carry off, through use of centrifugal force, the substance which leaks into. the annular chamber through the annular throat.

It is a further object to provide a device of the character set forth in the foregoing having a second chamber lying inwardly of the annular chamber in a position surrounding the shaft, with sealing means around the shaft in the lower part of the inner chamber and drain passages leading downwardly from the bottom of the inner chamber within the wall of the pedestal, spaced outwardly and isolated from the shaft and the bearings supporting the same.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a device of the character set forth hereinbefore wherein the seal betweentthe inner and outer chambers comprises a ring having an annular portion which engages an upper annular part of the pedestal when the mixing head is stationary or revolving at low speed, and which, dueto the action of centrifugal force therein, moves outwardly out of frictional engagement with the pedestal part when the mixing head is revolving at high speed.

2,910,278 Patented Oct. 27, 1959 A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character having a sealing collar on the upper portion of the shaft, this sealing collar forming a portion of the mixing head, but being separable therefrom, so that the collar and the sealing ring therein may remain in place when the major portion of the mixing head is removed for the purpose of cleaning the same.

Further objects and advantages of the invention may bebrought out in the following part of the specification wherein some details are described for the purpose of assuring that the disclosure is complete in every respect, without intending, however, to limit the scope of the invention which is defined by the appended claims.

Referring to-the drawings which are for illustrative purposes only: f

Fig. 1 is a sectional view, to reduced scale, showing a preferred form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary quarter-sectio through the pedestal and the mixing head; and

Fig. 3 is a partial cross-section taken as indicated by the line 33 of Fig. 2.

The mixer or diffuser 10 comprises a container 11 including a side wall 12 and a bottom wall 13. The side wall 12 is cylindrical and the peripheral'portion 14 of the bottom wall 13 is dished or curved upwardly so as to merge smoothly with the lower end of the side wall 12. Projecting upwardly from the center of the bottom wall 13, there is a pedestal 15 of generally conical form but having its outer face concavely curved. The outer surface 16 of the pedestal 15 is a surface of revolution of a concavely curved line aroundith-etaxis of the pedestal 15.

The pedestal 15 includes a coaxial sleeve or quill 17 supported by radial webs 18. The bore 19 0f the sleeve 17 contains bearings 20 and 21 for supporting a vertical shaft 22 which extends through the pedestal as a means for transmitting rotation from a power source, such as a motor 23 arranged below the container bottom 13,. toa mixing head 24 which is removably secured on the upper end of the shaft '22, 1 r a The pedestal 15 has adjacent its upper end an upwardly faced, but downwardly and outwardly. sloping annular shelf 25. An annular wall 26 projects upwardly from the inner end of the shelf 25, and an annular fitting 21 secured to and forming a portion of the upper part of the pedestal 15 provides an annular lip 28 of cylindrical form and in upwardly extending relation to the annular wall 26.

A sealing collar 29 surrounds the shaft 22 and the lower end thereof rests on the inner race of the bearing 20. At its upper end, the collar 29 has a radially" extending wall 30 which extends outwardly above and radially beyond the upper end of the annular lip 28 of the pedestal 15. At the periphery of the wall 30'there is a skirt 31 which ex tends downwardly in spaced relation to the upper end of the lip 28 to assist in supporting a sealing ring 32 which is disposed between the lip 28 and the skirt 31 and has an annular, downwardly projecting resilient lip-shaped wall 33 the lower portion of which frictionally engages the outer face of'the lip 28 when the ring 32 is stationary or is revolving at slow speed. When the head 24 and the collar 29 revolve at high speed, centrifugal force acting within the annular wall 33- causes the same to swing outwardly so as to reduce the pressure of the annular wall' 33 against the surface of the lip 28 so that the: wear between the parts 28 and 33- will bereduced to a minimum. Ordinarily centrifugalforce acting within the annular wall 33 Q when the head 24 is operating under normal mixing condilip 28.

tions, will move the wall 33 out of engagement with the V its periphery. Lock nuts 38, screwed onto the upper threaded end of the shaft 22 secure the cooperating head parts in place.

The lower head part 34 has an annular wall 40 which projects downwardly around the periphery of the collar wall 30; externally of the lip 28 and also around the annular .wall 26 of the pedestal. The lower end of the annular wall 40 has an annular face 41 confronting the shelf 25 of the pedestal and also an annular wall 42 surrounding the annular wall 26 of pedestal 15 so as to form an annular throat 43 between the pedestal and head parts. Inthe annular wall portion 40 above the throat 43 there is an inwardly faced annular channel 44 from which radial passages 45 extend outwardly through the lower part of the head part 34. The channel 44 forms a part of an annular chamber 46 which surrounds the lip part 28 of the pedestal 15 and which is separated from an inner annular chamber 47 by the lip 28 and the sealing ring 32. The inner annular chamber 47 surrounds that portion of the shaft 22 which lies within the collar 29. A second seal is provided around the shaft at the lower end of the chamber 47, consisting of a stationary collar 48 which rests upon the upper end of the sleeve 17 and extends inwardly over the bearing 20 to a position close to the lower part of the collar 29. From the lower portion of the collar 29 a skirt or slinger 49 extends outwardly and downwardly over the upper portion of the stationary collar 48 so as to direct outwardly and downwardly into the passages 50 which exist between the webs 18 any substance which may inadvertently enter the upper portion of the chamber 47 or condensates which may form therein.

In the operation of the device the materials being mixed circulate as indicated by the arrows 51 and a very thorough mixing action is performed. The narrow throat 43 controls to a minimum'the flow of materials through the passage 52 between the walls 25 and 41 into the annular chamber 46, and such leakage into the chamber 46 is immediately removed by centrifugal action which causes the same to fiow outwardly through the passages 45. Accordingly, during the operation of the device the materials being mixed are not brought into contact with the annular wall 33 of the sealing ring 32. At the completion of the wall which frictionally engages said lip when said shaft and said collar are revolving at low speed and which moves out of frictional engagement with said lip when revolving at high speed; a mixing head on the upper end of said shaft having an annular portion which extends down around said skirt and around said annular wall at the upper end of said pedestal, said annular portion having an inwardly faced annular surface lying close to said annular wall of said pedestal so as to form a narrow throat, an inwardly faced annular channel above said annular face and radiating openings extending outwardly within said head from said annular channel to the exterior of said head; and sealing means within said pedestal between said sleeve and said shaft.

2. In a device of the character described: a container having a side wall and a bottom wall, the peripheral portion of said bottom wall being curved upwardly making a cornerless meeting with the lower edge of said side wall; a hollow pedestal extending up from said bottom wall within the lower part of said container, the outer wall of said pedestal decreasing in diameter from its lower end to its upper end and being a surface of generation of a concavely curved line around the axis of said pedestal, said pedestal having an inner sleeve spaced from its outer wall and having passage means extending vertically within the pedestal between said outer wall and said sleeve, said pedestal having adjacent the upper end thereof an upwardly faced annular shelf and above said shelf an upwardly extending annular wall and an upmixing operation and the dumping of the mixture from the container 10, the head 24 may be removed from the upper end of the shaft 22 leaving in place the collar 29 and the sealing ring 32 to protect the chamber 47 against entry of deleterious materials thereinto. The removed head may be readily cleansed by washing it in solvent and the passages thereof may be easily cleaned so that they will not become clogged by the hardening of materials therein. 1

- I claim:

1. In a device of the character described: a container having a side wall and a bottom wall, the peripheral portion of said bottom wall being curved upwardly making a cornerless meeting with the lower edge of said side wall; a hollow pedestal extending up from said bottom wall within the lower part of said container, the outer wall of said pedestal decreasing in diameter from its lower end toits upper end and being a surface of generation of a concavely'curved line around the axis of said pedestal, said pedestal having an inner sleeve spaced from its outer wall and having passage means extending vertically within the pedestal between said outer wall and said sleeve, said pedestal having adjacent the upper end thereof an upwardly faced annular shelf and above said shelf an upwardly extending annular walland an upwardly projecting annular lip; bearing means within said sleeve; a shaft extending through said sleeve and supported by said hearing means; drive means connected to the lower end of said shaft; a sealing collar on the upper end of said shaft having a downwardly turned skirt externally of said annula'r lip ofsaid pedestal; an annular sealing ring between said skirt and said lip, said ring having an inner annular wardly projecting annular lip; bearing means within said sleeve; a shaft extending through said sleeve and supported by said bearing means; drive means connected to the lower end of said shaft; a sealing collar on the upper end of said shaft having a downwardly turned skirt externally of said annular lip of said pedestal; an annular sealing ring between said skirt and said lip, said ring having an inner annular wall which frictionally engages said lip when said shaft and said collar are revolving at low speed and which moves out of frictional engagement with said lip when revolving at high speed; and a mixing head on the upper end of said shaft having an annular portion which extends down around said skirt and around said annular wall at the upper end of said pedestal, said annular portion having an inwardly faced annular surface lying close to said annular wall of said pedestal so as to form a narrow throat, an inwardly faced annular channel above said annular face and radiating openings extending outwardly within said head from said annular channel to the exterior of said head.

3. In a device of the character described: a container having a side wall and a bottom wall, the peripheral portion of said bottom wall being curved upwardly making a cornerless meeting with the lower edge of said side Wall; a hollow pedestal extending up from said bottom wall within the lower part of said container, the outer wall of said pedestal decreasing in diameter from its lower end to its upper end and being a surface of generation of a concavely curved line around the axis of said pedestal, said pedestal having an inner sleeve spaced from its outer wall and having passage means extending vertically within the pedestal between said outer wall and said sleeve, said pedestal having adjacent the upper end thereof an upwardly faced annular shelf and above said shelf an upwardly extending annular wall and an upwardly projecting annular lip; bearing means within said sleeve; a shaft extending through said sleeve and supported by said bearing means; drive means connected to the lower end of said shaft; a sealing collar on the upper end of said shaft having a downwardly turned skirt externally of said annular lip of said pedestal; an annular sealing ring positioned between said skirt and said lip for preventing passage of fluid inwardly from the exterior of said lip; a mixing head on the upper end of said shaft having an annular portion which extends down around said skirt and around said annular wall at the upper end of said pedestal, said annular portion having an inwardly faced annular surface lying close to said annular wall of said pedestal so as to form a narrow throat, an inwardly faced annular channel above said annular face and radiating openings extending outwardly within said head from said annular channel to the exterior of said head; and sealing means within said pedestal between said sleeve and said shaft.

4. In a device of the character described: a container having a side wall and a bottom wall, the peripheral portion of said bottom wall being curved upwardly making a cornerless meeting with the lower edge of said side wall; a hollow pedestal extending up from said bottom wall within the lower part of said container, the outer wall of said pedestal decreasing in diameter from its lower end to its upper end and being a surface of generation of a concavely curved line around the axis of said pedestal, said pedestal having an inner sleeve spaced from its outer wall and having passage means extending vertically within the pedestal between said outer wall and said sleeve, said pedestal having adjacent the upper end thereof an upwardly faced annular shelf and above said shelf an upwardly extending annular wall and an upwardly projecting annular lip; bearing means within said sleeve; a shaft extending through said sleeve and supported by said bearing means; drive means connected to the lower end of said shaft; a sealing collar on the upper end of said shaft; an annular sealing ring secured to said collar in a position surrounding said lip for preventing passage of fluid inwardly through the space between said lip and said collar; a mixing head on the upper end of said shaft having an annular portion which extends down around said skirt and around said annular wall at the upper end of said pedestal, said annular portion having an inwardly faced annular surface lying close to said annular wall of said pedestal so as to form a narrow throat, an inwardly faced annular channel above said annular face and radiating openings extending outwardly within said head from said annular channel to the exterior of said head; and sealing means within said pedestal between said sleeve and said shaft.

5. In a device of the character described: a container having a side wall and a bottom wall, the peripheral portion of said bottom wall being curved upwardly making a cornerless meeting with the lower edge of said side wall; a hollow pedestal extending up from said bottom wall within the lower part of said container, the outer wall of said pedestal decreasing in diameter from its lower end to its upper end and being a surface of generation of a concavely curved line around the axis of said pedestal, said pedestal having an inner sleeve spaced from its outer wall and having passage means extending vertically within the pedestal between said outer wall and said sleeve, said pedestal having adjacent the upper end thereof an upwardly faced annular shelf and above said shelf an upwardly extending annular wall and an upwardly projecting annular lip; bearing means within said sleeve; a shaft extending through said sleeve and supported by said bearing means; drive means connected to the lower end of said shaft; a sealing collar on the upper end of said shaft; an annular sealing ring secured to said collar in a position surrounding said lip for preventing passage of fluid inwardly through the space between said lip and said collar; and a mixing head on the upper end of said shaft having an annular portion which extends down around said skirt and around said annular wall at'the upper end of said pedestal, said annular portion having an inwardly faced annular surface lying close to said annular wall of said pedestal so as to form a narrow throat, an inwardly faced annular channel above said annular face and radiating openings extending outwardly within said head from said annular channel to the exterior of said head.

6. In a mixing device of the character described: a con- 6 tainer having a side wall and a bottom wall defining a mixing chamber; a hollow pedestal extending up from said bottom wall within the lower part of said container, said pedestal having an inner sleeve spaced from its outer wall and having passage means extending vertically within the pedestal between said outer wall and said sleeve, said pedestal having adjacent the upper end thereof an upwardly extending annular wall and an upwardly projecting annular lip; bearing means within said sleeve; a shaft extending through said sleeve and supported by said bearing means; drive means connected to the lower end of said shaft; a sealing collar on the upper end of said shaft having a downwardly turned skirt externally of said annular lip of said pedestal; an annular sealing ring between said skirt and said lip, said ring having an inner annular wall which frictionally engages said lip when said shaft and said collar are revolving at low speed and which moves out of frictional engagement with-said lip when revolving at high speed; a mixing head on the upper end of said shaft having an annular portion which extends down around said skirt and around said annular wall at the upper end of said pedestal, said annular portion having an inwardly faced annular surface lying close to said annular wall of said pedestal so as to form a narrow throat,.an inwardly faced annular channel above said annular face and radiating: openings extending outwardly within said head from said annular channel to the exterior of said head; and sealing means within said pedestal between said sleeve and said shaft.

7. in a mixing device of the character described: a container having a side wall and a bottom wall defining a mixing chamber; a hollow pedestal extending up from said bottom wall within the lower part of said container, said pedestal having an inner sleeve spaced from its outer wall and having passage means extending vertically within the pedestal between said outer wall and said sleeve, said pedestal having adjacent the upper end thereof an upwardly extending annular wall and an upwardly projecting annular lip; bearing means within said sleeve; a shaft extending through said sleeve and supported by said bearing means; drive means connected to the lower end of said shaft; a sealing collar on the upper end of said shaft; an annular sealing ring secured to said collar in a position surrounding said lip for preventing passage of fluid inwardly through the space between said lip and said collar; and a mixing head on the upper end of said shaft having an annular portion which extends down around said skirt and around said annular wall at the upper end of said pedestal, said annular portion having an inwardly faced annular surface lying close to said annular wall of said pedestal so as to form a narrow throat, an inwardly faced annular channel above said annular face and radiating openings extending outwardly within said head from said annular channel to the exterior of said head.

8. In a mixing device of the character described: a container having a side wall and a bottom wall defining a mixing chamber, the peripheral portion of said bottom wall being curved upwardly making a cornerless meeting with the lower edge of said side wall; a hollow pedestal extending up from said bottom wall within the lower part of said container, the outer wall of said pedestal decreasing in diameter from its lower end to its upper end and being a surface of generation of a concavely curved line 7 wall and an upwardly projecting annular lip; bearing means in said pedestal; a shaft extending through the pedestal and supported by said bearing means; drive means connected to the lower end of said shaft; a sealing collar on the upper end of said shaft; an annular sealing ring secured to said collar in a position surrounding said lip for preventing passage of fluid inwardly through the a space between said lip and said collar; and a mixing head on the upper end of said shaft having an annular portion which extends down around said skirt and around said annular wall at the upper end of said pedestal, said annular portion having an inwardly faced annular surface lying close to said annular wall of said pedestal so as to form a narrow throat, an inwardly faced annular channel above said annular face and radiating openings extending outwardly within said head from said annular channel to the exterior of said head.

9. In a mixing device of the character described: a container having a bottom wall and a side Wall defining a mixing chamber; a hollow pedestal extending upwardly within the lower part of the container from said bottom wall, said pedestal having near the upper end thereof an outwardly faced annular wall and an annular lip extending upwardly above said annular wall; a shaft extending through said pedestal; drive means connected to the lower end of said shaft; and a mixing head on the upper end of said shaft, said head having an annular portion which extends downwardly externally of said annular lip of said pedestal, having an inwardly faced annular wall confronting said outwardly faced annular wall of said pedestal to form a throat, a sealing ring carried by said head above said throat cooperating with said annular lip to prevent entry of fluid into the upper end of said pedestal, and said head having passages leading outwardly from the interior of said downwardly extending annular portion of said head, between said throat and said sealing ring to carry oif materials which have passed through said throat.

10. A device as defined in claim 9 wherein the upper end of said pedestal and said head cooperate to form a chamber surrounding a portion of said shaft, sealing means around said shaft, and drain passages extending down from said chamber within said pedestal and spaced outwardly and isolated from said shaft.

11. In a device of the character described: a container having a bottom wall and a side wall; a hollow pedestal extending upwardly from said bottom wall, said pedestal having at its upper end an upwardly extending annular lip and an external annular wall below said lip; a shaft extending through said pedestal; drive means connected to the lower end of said shaft; a mixing head on the upper end of said shaft, said head having an annular portion which extends downwardly externally of said annular lip of said pedestal, having an annular wall confronting said annular wall of said pedestal to form a throat, a sealing ring carried by said head above said throat cooperating with said annular lip to prevent entry of fluid into the upper end of said pedestal, and said head having passages leading outwardly from the interior of said downwardly extending annular portion of said head, between said throat and said sealing ring to carry ofi materials which have passed through said throat; and a seal for said shaft arranged radially inwardly of said annular lip, said pedestal having therein a drain passage leading from the upper-portion of said pedestal contiguous to said seal to the lower end of said pedestal, for disposing of fluid which may leak past said sealing ring into the space between said annular lip and said seal.

Richmond July 2, 1912 Briggs July 12, 1938 

